DS Lite Spurs Explosive Sales

June 14, 2006, 6:08 pm EDT
Total comments: 24

DS Lite and recent games sell big at launch.

NINTENDO NEWS: NINTENDO DS CONTINUES TO DOMINATE PORTABLE VIDEO GAMES

June 14, 2006

With two of the nation's top-selling games and a hot new look to the hardware, the global Nintendo DS phenomenon has become more popular than ever. New Super Mario Bros. ® and Brain Age™: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS™ ranked as the No. 1 and No. 3 best-selling games of May, according to the independent NPD Group. And early reports from major retailers indicate that those same titles are being scooped up with the new Nintendo DS™ Lite in advance of Father's Day.

* After going on sale May 15, New Super Mario Bros. sold at a nonstop rate of roughly one every four seconds nationwide during the reporting period.

* New Super Mario Bros. emerged as the No. 1 game of the month, even though it was in stores for just 13 days of the four-week reporting period.

DS Lite Shines Bright:

* Just two days after Nintendo DS Lite went on sale in the United States on June 11, the new lighter, brighter portable system sold more than 136,500 units, with many retail outlets reporting sellouts.

* By comparison, DS Lite is outpacing 2003's launch sales of Nintendo's juggernaut Game Boy® Advance SP by more than 12 percent.

* Major retailers report that sales of Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day tripled over the previous week.

* Retailers also report that New Super Mario Bros. ® sales doubled over the previous week.

For more information about Nintendo systems and games, please visit www.nintendo.com.

Talkback

ArbokJune 14, 2006

DS Lite doing better than the SP? Now that I didn't expect... always good to hear.

GoldenPhoenixJune 14, 2006

Arbok, the DS Lite is a sexy beast, so you shouldn't be surprised. GBA SP was not a sexy beast, so in turn it didn't sell as well as DS Lite is now.

ArbokJune 14, 2006

But the SP was a far greater jump over the GBA than the Lite is over its predecessor, meaning I would have expected more people to be eager to upgrade.

GoldenPhoenixJune 14, 2006

Like I said, people want a sexy beast for a handheld.

Guitar SmasherJune 14, 2006

Let's not call the DSLite a 'beast' when it's clearly smaller than the original. "Sexy" shall suffice.

King of TwitchJune 14, 2006

sexy anorexic beast

KDR_11kJune 14, 2006

I still insist that "sexy hardware" is not a valid label for something without boobs.

1dayJune 14, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
I still insist that "sexy hardware" is not a valid label for something without boobs.

You could put that on there if you really wanted to but it's not necessary.

KDR_11kJune 15, 2006

Without boobs it's maybe... sleek or... cool or something but NOT sexy.

couchmonkeyJune 15, 2006

I was beginning to worry they wouldn't give actual hardware figures.

I liked the SP design a lot, actually. The DS Lite is awesome too, although I saw one in person yesterday and it looked kind of flimsy? I'm sure it's not, I was just surprised.

Smash_BrotherJune 15, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: couchmonkey
I was beginning to worry they wouldn't give actual hardware figures.

I liked the SP design a lot, actually. The DS Lite is awesome too, although I saw one in person yesterday and it looked kind of flimsy? I'm sure it's not, I was just surprised.

You'll be surprised how small the things are.

Also, out of the 6 DSes I've bought/won, 4 of them have had stuck pixels. Maybe I just have sh!t luck, but I'm not liking my odds so far.

Ian SaneJune 15, 2006

Regarding the comparison to the SP a factor worth looking into is how many people are buying a DS Lite that already owned a DS. There is not nearly as much incentive to upgrade a DS as their was to upgrade a GBA. But New Super Mario Bros just came out and it's a big game. A large portion of the DS Lite buyers might be new owners who were specifically waiting for that game and figured they might as well wait for the new version of the DS coming out around the same time.

KaironCarmine Red, Associate EditorJune 15, 2006

What interests me is that sales of Brain Age have tripled. As in gone UP!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Hostile CreationJune 15, 2006

The title of this news bit should totally be DS Lite spurs explosive flatulence.

Sorry for saying that. It was necessary.

Bill AurionJune 15, 2006

I don't like the word "sexy," so can I use the word "cute"?

I'll get myself a cute Lite (see, that's so much better...) someday, but considering the amount of money I'll be spending at the end of the year, it looks more and more likely that it won't be until next year...

KnowsNothingJune 15, 2006

Same with me. I really want a Lite, but I need to save up for some hawt Wii action.

RequiemJune 15, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Without boobs it's maybe... sleek or... cool or something but NOT sexy.

I don't know about everyone else, but when I call something that is non-woman related sexy, it means that it makes ME look sexy. Having sexy accessories does indeed make you look more attractive, and thus, more sexy.

You see my point?

NinGurl69 *hugglesJune 15, 2006

Like the Zima guy, huh?

Hostile CreationJune 15, 2006

Video games = never sexy. Fact of life.

GoldenPhoenixJune 15, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Hostile Creation
Video games = never sexy. Fact of life.

Unless of course they see the sexy DS Lite, it's beauty attracts all around to its glossy white appearance and small, delicate design. The sexyness of the DS Lite's apperance makes video games cool all by itself.

AgesJune 15, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
What interests me is that sales of Brain Age have tripled. As in gone UP!

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Well it definetely couldnt be that Best Buy and Circuit City are GIVING it away with a new DSL purchase.

RequiemJune 15, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: VGrevolution
Quote
Originally posted by: Hostile Creation
Video games = never sexy. Fact of life.

Unless of course they see the sexy DS Lite, it's beauty attracts all around to its glossy white appearance and small, delicate design. The sexyness of the DS Lite's apperance makes video games cool all by itself.

Exactly. In all honesty, the DS Lite is the only video console to date that I would call sexy. You're right Hostile -- video games aren't sexy.

-- But it makes finding a girl that enjoys it (read: and hot) all the better